Savin' Me
by athenanoctea
Summary: All I need is you.


**Title: **Savin' Me

**Date: **10/01/2006

**Author: **carpenyx

**Rating: **PG-13

**Genre: **Angst/Songfic

**Characters: John **Sheppard and Teyla Emmagan

**Pairings: **John/Teyla

**Spoilers: **None

**Disclaimer: **I do not own. Just playing in the Pegasus Galaxy. No copyright infringement intended. Song used is "Savin' Me" by Nickelback.

**Summary: **All I need is you.

**Savin' Me**

_Prison gates won't open up for me  
On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'  
Oh, I reach for you  
Well I'm terrified of these four walls  
These iron bars can't hold my soul in_

Every muscle in his body fought against him. He coughed, blood spattering onto the ground. He rolled onto his back in the center of the prison cell. The fours walls felt as if they were closing in on him – he shuddered. Forcing his eyes open, John flinched as pain surged through his damaged body.

"Teyla," he muttered through clenched teeth. He received no response.

The air was dull, damp and laced with the repulsive stench of decay. It caused every intake of breath to be harsh and labored. John struggled to inhale, feeling an agonizing pressure against his chest. He forced himself onto his stomach, groaning painfully – several of his ribs were broken.

"Teyla," he murmured again, clawing at the dirt beneath him. He strained to drag himself towards the irons bars – the ones separating him from her.

He reached the barrier between him, her name falling from his lips again as he collapsed against the prison cell bars.

_All I need is you  
Come please I'm callin'  
And oh I scream for you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'  
_

The familiar sound of his voice stirred her from slumber. Her dark eyes fluttered open and focused on the foreign surroundings. A sudden rush of pain traveled through her body, causing her to tremble.

"Colonel Sheppard?" she called out softly as she turned her head to the side. Her back was against his, but iron bars divided the space between them. She received no immediate response, prompting her to ask again. "John?"

Teyla repositioned herself against the bars in order to see him better. "John, wake up," she whispered as she reached her hand through the bars, gently nudging his shoulder. "John, you must wake up."

"Please…" she pleaded. Her voice resonated with panic as she nudged him again, this time more forcefully.

"Tey…la?" he groaned, lifting his head slightly.

She sighed with relief, a small unexpected smile crossing her features. "John…" she said softly, "Are you all right?"

A ghost of a smile crossed John's face. "Nothing Carson can't fix when they find us," he said, his voice weak and hoarse. "Are you?"

"I think my arm is dislocated. I can't move it," she said fearfully. She assessed her arm, moaning when even the slightest of movements was enough to cause her vision to turn black with pain.

_Show me what it's like  
To be the last one standing  
And teach me wrong from right  
And I'll show you what I can be_

"Teyla, I'm…" John muttered, his voice breaking off as he grabbed onto the iron bars and pulled himself up and closer to her.

"Shh," she whispered. "You have no reason to be sorry, Colonel Sheppard." Teyla wrapped her fingers around his, sighing softly.

"John…" he corrected her. The pain was getting worse; his body was screaming. With every fiber of his being he attempted to remain conscious.

"John," she affirmed, lightly squeezing his hand.

"I'm not doing so good over here," he admitted as he let his hand slip away from hers. He attempted to reposition himself, but it was ineffective; there was too much pain and the extent of his injuries was a lot worse than he had originally estimated. He knew it was only a matter of time.

"We will make it out of this," Teyla assured him as she rested her head back against the bars, closing her eyes.

"How can you be so sure?" he asked, closing his eyes as he inhaled sharply.

"How do you always remain so certain of our survival when we find ourselves in these seemingly helpless situations?" she challenged him, a hint of a smile on her face.

He coughed again, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "Gut feeling," he told her.

"Exactly," she confirmed.

"Teyla, if I don't-"

"Do not," she injected quickly. "Do not speak of such things, John."

_Say it for me  
Say it to me  
And I'll leave this life behind me  
Say it if it's worth saving me_

Teyla reached her arm through the bars, taking hold of his hand. "John, you need to stay awake," she said urgently as he began to slip in and out of consciousness.

"Please, you cannot leave me," she pleaded.

John groaned, squeezing her hand weakly. "I'm here," he murmured as he held onto her hand with no intention of letting go.

A soft sigh escaped her, tears falling down her cheeks. The idea of losing him was one that she could neither entertain, nor bear. "John?"

"Yeah?"

"I…" she hesitated, shaking her head.

"I know," he said softly. "Me too." He squeezed her hand tighter until the pain decided to overtake him, causing him to slip back into unconsciousness.

"John!" she cried out, tugging on his hand. "John… please, John!"

_Heaven's gates won't open up for me  
With these broken wings I'm fallin'  
And all I see is you_

"John," she whispered softly, resting her hand against his forehead gently and brushing his damp hair away from his face. "You are safe now," Teyla told him as she smiled down at him.

He scrunched his face, trying to focus his eyes on her – was he dreaming?

"You are going to be all right," she assured him, resting her other hand against his arm as the medical team carried him on the gurney. "We're going home."

John closed his eyes, taking comfort in having her at his side.

She walked beside him for as long as she was allowed, the whole time continuing to hold his hand.

_These city walls ain't got no love for me  
I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story  
And oh I scream for you_

As he regained consciousness, panic threatened to overwhelm him. The last thing he remembered was seeing her face and that smile of hers; now all he could see were bright lights shining in his eyes as he began to fight against the wires and tubes hooked up to him.

"Teyla!" he cried out in his disoriented state.

"Relax, Colonel," came the familiar voice of Doctor Beckett as he hurried over, assuring John that he was safe and back in Atlantis.

"Teyla… where is she?"

_Come please I'm callin'  
And all I need from you  
Hurry I'm fallin', I'm fallin'_

"I am here, John," she whispered softly as she slipped her hand into his.

"Don't…"

"I am not going anywhere," she assured him as she leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his forehead.

"Good," he whispered, finally certain that everything would be all right.


End file.
